Holden has taken the wraps off its stunning new performance sedan show car ahead of the VF Commodore’s international debut as the Chevrolet SS Sports Sedan in the USA this weekend.

Unveiled as a precursor to the new VF Commodore sport luxury range, the new VF SS V show car applies a serious performance edge to the luxury hero concept Holden previewed in the VF Calais V earlier this week.

The new VF Commodore will introduce a range of technology firsts for an Australian car, including Reverse Traffic Alert, Head-up Display, Blind Spot Alert, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Auto Park Assist when it arrives in Australian showrooms mid-year.

The VF Commodore sport luxury range is more refined than any car previously produced by Holden, embodying the same design sophistication, premium appointments and attention to detail as the Calais V luxury sport concept.

The SS V has a mature, new aerodynamic exterior design, which has been finished in eye-catching custom Fantale orange metallic paint specially created by Holden for the show car.

Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux said the new VF SS V show car is a class above any performance vehicle ever created by Holden.

“When it came to our sport luxury range, we wanted to create an Australian performance car that would be at home just about anywhere in the world,” he said.

“VF Commodore’s pure driving enjoyment and advanced technology are good enough to seriously challenge any large performance sedan on the planet.

“We’ve also packaged VF’s performance and technology in a stylish and sophisticated design that will be right at home on any street from George Street, Sydney to 5th Avenue, New York City.

“And this will become reality when Mark Reuss President of General Motors North America, unveils the VF Commodore as their top-of-the-range Chevrolet sports sedan at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway in Florida tomorrow.”

VF SS V Show Car Exterior

True to tradition, the SS V-Series show car is designed for maximum look-at-me impact.

The performance show car is a custom-finished, ‘amped up’ pointer to the VF sports range, to be launched mid-2013. It’s muscular design is enhanced with a bespoke paint job in brilliant metallic orange, contrasted against glossy black multi-spoke wheels.

Under spotlights, the show car’s glowing finish emphasises the more sculpted, layered surfacing and bolder graphics that give the VF SS V-Series Commodore a powerfully different sports design character and complement its classic rear drive performance car proportion.

Peter Hughes, Holden’s Design Manager, Exteriors, said the creative team relished the task of preparing a hero show car version of the upcoming VF SS V-Series Commodore sedan.

“We wanted to put something out there that made a bit of an impact,” he said.

“The design was an exercise in exploring future options and gauging buyer reactions. We may get some polarised opinions, but that’s all part of the process of experimenting with different ideas and anticipating market trends.

“The surfacing of the new VF is inherently more flamboyant and contemporary. And the fresh front and rear end sports graphics on the SS V in particular are really vibrant and distinctive.

“Factor in all the things we know and love about the Commodore – its great stance, silhouette and proportion – and we had a great canvas to work with.

“The SS V show car isn’t too far removed from the final design intent – we’ve just amped it up a little.

Holden Designer Manager, Colour and Trim, Kirsty Lindsay, said the team developed a unique paint colour and finishes to complement the SS V’s sleek exterior design and set it apart from the luxury sport-themed Calais V.

“The gloss black paint on the hand-machined double five-spoke wheels is a custom finish, while the cool gunmetal chrome detailing on the front fascia and the vertical fender vents is less overt, more in tune with this car’s luxury persona,” she said.

“With the fusion of gloss black elements, the gunmetal chrome and that sensational orange metallic finish, we wanted to blur the boundary between luxury sports tourer and dramatic sports machine”.

VF SS V Show Car Interior

The show car’s impressive cabin layout is the real deal – entirely new and close to mainstream VF SS V production design intent.

The theme is well-appointed sport luxury: dark-toned, subtle and sophisticated. The feel is first class. This is a carefully considered ergonomic design, defined by the use of high-quality materials, careful tailoring, craftsmanship and comfort.

Nothing has escaped attention – from the instrument panel and centre console with its advanced infotainment graphic interface to the motorsport-inspired steering wheel, the switches, the shifter and the new electric park brake.

“It’s evolved from a bold approach into something more in tune with the sophisticated technological nature of this car,” she said.

“The sport interior retains all the classic sports cues but pays tribute to Holden’s performance heritage in a more understated way.

“We took a jet black background palette and enlivened it with silky chrome highlights and tactile, soft-textured materials.

“There’s real cohesion between decorative elements such as the deck and twin needle accent stitching that’s repeated on the seats, the doors and the instrument panel.

“The sports DNA may be more subtle, but it’s apparent everywhere around you – from the central accent stripe on the seats to the perforated leather inserts, the carbon fibre look cross-car applique, the SS-V Series embroidered ID on the instrument panel, alloy-faced pedals and the traditional red-lit graphic displays”.